Moonlit Reunion

Wu Zhen searched for two days but couldn't find Pei Ji Ya. She couldn't help but think, "Could this sickly cousin of mine have quietly died in some forgotten corner?"

But considering his capabilities, Wu Zhen felt he wouldn't die so easily. She had no choice but to patiently try various search methods with Mei Zhuyu, slowly expanding their search outward from where he had last been seen.

Meanwhile, the very person they were searching for, Pei Ji Ya, was currently in Xiangshui City, located even further south than Tangshui City.

Thanks to its proximity to the inland canal, Xiangshui City was much more prosperous than Tangshui. The city was neatly divided into wards and markets, with streets and alleys crisscrossing each other. Particularly in the southeastern part of the city, the houses were all magnificent, with towering Cloud Eaves stretching continuously—this was where the city's wealthy gathered.

Among them was the Tao residence, owned by a middle-aged merchant who had made his fortune in the silk and cloth trade. In Xiangshui City, he was quite a prominent figure. The Tao estate was adorned with pavilions and towers, and even the servants wore fine silks, their faces ruddy—clearly living well.

However, even in this splendid estate, there was a dilapidated spot. In the northwest corner stood a small courtyard, far removed from the main residence and rarely visited. Compared to the refined beauty of the rest of the estate, this little courtyard was overgrown with weeds, its roof tiles broken and unrepaired, grass sprouting from the eaves—it looked almost like a haunted house.

At the base of the courtyard wall, a clump of weeds rustled, and then a slender figure emerged from the grass. It was a girl who looked about twelve or thirteen years old. She clutched a food box, her hair a tangled mess, her face and the hem of her skirt smudged with dirt.

Turning back, she pulled the weeds over to cover a hole in the wall. Then, hugging the food box, she darted into the house as lightly as a bird, a happy smile on her face.

"Master, Master! I found something delicious!" she called in a hushed voice, rushing to the bed and kneeling on the peeling footstool. She poked her head, still dotted with grass, into the bed curtains.

From inside the curtains came a lazy male voice, "What's so delicious that you're this excited?"

The voice was gentle and pleasant, carrying a hint of nonchalance—utterly charming. But the owner of this voice wasn't a handsome man. Instead, it was a... white mouse, lounging on a soft grass pillow.

The white mouse elegantly rolled over to look at the girl who had stuck her head in. The girl was a pitiful sight—sallow and thin, with only her eyes shining brightly.

"It's pastries, sweet ones! Master, you said if I went to the little shrine in the west wing today, I'd definitely find something good to steal. And I did! No one saw me either. Master, you're amazing!" The girl, sitting excitedly by the bed, was covered in dust, looking more like a grubby little mouse than the pristine, leisurely white mouse on the pillow.

As she spoke, she carefully pulled out the food box she had been holding, opened the lid, and presented it to the white mouse like a treasure. Swallowing her saliva, she said, "Master, you eat first."

The white mouse finally sat up, glanced into the box, and picked out the smallest flower-shaped pastry. He took a bite.

"Too sweet. Cloying," he said disdainfully.

The girl blinked, then took a piece for herself. Holding it in her hands, she nibbled at it with half-closed eyes, her expression one of pure contentment. "So delicious, so sweet! When my mother was still alive, I think she gave me pastries this sweet too."Watching her continuously munch on several pieces of cake, the white mouse said, "I'm thirsty. Pour me some water."

The little girl immediately scrambled up and clattered over to the low table nearby to fetch a cup of water for the white mouse. After taking a sip, the mouse waved its paw to indicate it didn't want any more. Without hesitation, the girl picked up the cup and finished it herself before happily returning to her cakes, looking both greedy and famished.

Hunched over her food, the tiny figure appeared pitifully thin.

The white mouse—Pei Ji Ya—had been staying here for two months. Previously, he had encountered some trouble and suffered severe injuries, nearly dying on a mountain path. Fortunately, he was discovered by the Tao family's carriage in his current form as a white mouse and was rescued by the eldest daughter of the Tao family, Tao Afu, who brought him here.

Tao Afu was the girl now sitting by the bed, devouring cakes. She looked no older than twelve or thirteen but was actually almost sixteen, her stunted growth a result of years of malnutrition and hardship.

Though the Tao family was wealthy, Tao Afu, the biological daughter of Tao Langjun, lived in such wretched conditions for a reason. Tao Langjun had once been a humble traveling merchant who married a farmer's daughter, living a frugal life. Later, through some stroke of luck, his business flourished, and within a few years, he became a local tycoon.

Once wealthy, the man began to despise his plain and low-born wife. He abandoned her and their daughter, remarrying a beautiful but impoverished young lady from a fallen official family, with whom he had three daughters. The new wife and her daughters became the apple of Tao Langjun's eye, while Tao Afu, the "simpleton" daughter from his peasant ex-wife, was an eyesore to him. With her stepmother also lacking kindness, Tao Afu—motherless and father-neglected—lived a miserable existence.

Tao Langjun had barely seen his eldest daughter a handful of times. Finding her dull-witted and inept compared to his pampered younger daughters, he dismissed her as simple-minded and paid her even less attention.

It wasn't until over two months ago, when Tao Langjun took his family back to their ancestral village for a ceremony, that he reluctantly remembered Tao Afu—still listed in the family registry—and brought her along. By sheer coincidence, this trip allowed Tao Afu to rescue Pei Ji Ya in his white mouse form.

With Pei Ji Ya's cunning and skill, coaxing obedience from a naive girl was child's play. When he was severely injured and nearly immobile, Tao Afu had cared for him. He first claimed to be a monster, and she believed him. Later, he declared himself an immortal, and the gullible girl believed that too. When Pei Ji Ya promised to teach her "Immortal Arts" to ensure she would never go hungry or cold again, Tao Afu happily began calling him "Master." Under his guidance, her life had improved significantly over the past two months, deepening her reverence for him. She obeyed his every word without question.

Pei Ji Ya was in no hurry. He stayed in this shabby courtyard to recuperate, unconcerned about the chaos his disappearance might have caused in the Pei family.

Every day, he lounged on the girl's pillow to heal, eating the food and water she offered. Though life was meager, Pei Ji Ya found it rather enjoyable. The way Tao Afu hung on his every word, utterly spellbound, was endlessly amusing.Tao Afu was left in this courtyard, not allowed to leave freely because Tao Langjun didn’t want her to embarrass him by going out, and her stepmother didn’t want to see her either. So an old woman was stationed outside the courtyard, supposedly to take care of her but actually to keep her from leaving. Yet she was negligent in her duties, often forgetting to bring Afu meals.

Afu was small in stature and couldn’t escape, nearly starving to death here. On the very second day after Pei Ji Ya was picked up by her, he summoned a black-armored creature in front of her. It emerged from the earth and dug a hole in an inconspicuous corner of the wall, just big enough for Afu to crawl through.

From that day on, whenever Afu went hungry, she could slip out through that hole to find food. She told Pei Ji Ya about the layout of the house, and in return, he instructed her on when and where to go for food and how to avoid people. Afu obediently followed his directions and was never discovered. During this time, she ate better and finally gained a little weight.

After finishing a box of pastries, Afu was once again ordered by her white mouse master to fetch water in the courtyard to wash the bedding and bed curtains. Without delicacies like dragon liver or phoenix marrow, nor fine wine or tea, Pei Ji Ya could endure it, but he absolutely couldn’t tolerate an unclean place to rest.

Fortunately, though the little girl Tao Afu was a bit slow and dull in reaction, she was extremely obedient. She did whatever she was told without ever questioning or refusing. This easily satisfied girl washed the bedding and bed curtains, then invited her white mouse master out to bask in the sun.

Her arms were thin and weak, lacking the strength to wring out the bedding properly. Hung on a tree branch, it dripped incessantly, but thankfully, the sunlight was strong enough to dry it.

The white mouse, comfortably sunbathing, turned over to warm the other side. After a while, feeling it was too hot, he tapped the pillow. Afu, who was washing her hair, rushed over with her wet locks and moved His Lordship to the shade before running back to continue washing her hair.

Since Pei Ji Ya arrived here, Tao Afu had become much cleaner, as her white mouse master couldn’t stand anything filthy.

Though she was clean, her clothes were old and worn. She had very few outfits—only one that fit properly, which Tao Langjun had bought for her temporarily during a family ancestor worship trip to save face. The rest of her dresses were faded and full of holes. If she hadn’t been short and slow-growing, these tattered clothes would no longer fit her.

Afu didn’t mind this much. As long as she was fed, she was happy. After finishing her chores, she crouched in front of the white mouse, cupping her chin in her hands, and asked, “Master, are you feeling better now?”

Pei Ji Ya had previously told her that he had been forced back into his original form after a magical duel and was severely injured, needing several years of rest to regain human form. Afu, unaware that men were often deceitful “big pig trotters,” wholeheartedly believed her master. She cared for his injuries daily, treating him like her own father.

In truth, Pei Ji Ya’s injuries were nearly healed. A month ago, when he regained some of his abilities, he had already commanded minor spirits to gather medicinal herbs for him. The only reason he remained here now was simply because he felt like it.He watched as the lonely little girl gradually began to trust him, smiling more and more each day. He felt as if he were raising a pitiful little mouse, observing her tenacious daily struggles, which seemed far more interesting than returning to the Pei family to torment his elders and younger sisters.

As the sun set, Ah Fu brought in the clean bedding and spread it out in the room. Pei Ji Ya lay down to rest. Perhaps because the quilt still carried the comforting scent of sunlight, he drifted off to sleep without realizing it. In his drowsy state, he suddenly heard a commotion in the courtyard outside—Ah Fu’s frightened cries, the angry shouts of several people, and vague accusations like "It's her!" "Little thief!" and "The missing offerings!"